Surf-coaster.



M. A. GULBRANDSEN.

SURF COASTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1916.

1,206,696. Patented Nov. 28,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

M. A. GULBRANDSEN.

' SURF COASTER."

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STATES OFFICE.

MICHAEL ADOLF GULIBRANDSEN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOB, OF ONE- HALF TO PNEUMATIC SURF COASTER AMUSEMENT 00., INC., OF 'NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH RUTILY, OF NEW A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK, AND

ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. v

eoaeee.

SURF-COASTER.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 28 1916.,

Application filed March 14, 1916. Serial No. 84,191.

To all wkom z't may concern:

BRANDSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Surf-Coasters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pleasure devices of the class commonly k nown as surf coasters for the use of bathers and others at beaches to enable the users to ride the break ers and skim over the surface of the water.

One object ofthe invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple, strong and durable of construction, of a maximum degree of buoyancy, and which may be easily handled and controlled and will not bruise or otherwise injure the user even when propelled with force against the body of the user under the pressure of the water. I

A furtherobjectof the invention is to provide a surf coaster of the pneumatic type and having a plurality of chambers or' compartments, of which any desired num-- ber may be used, so that the degree of buoyancy of the device may be varied as desired or required.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a surf coaster which is light in.

weight, devoid as far as possible of hard materials liable to cause injuryto the user,

which maybe grasped-at any point along the sides in a convenient manner and also readily drawn through the surf, and which embodies means whereby a board or platform may be secured thereto to afford a firm anti-slippingfoundation to enable the user to stand while coasting, whilegiving sta-. bilitv to the coaster and render ng it easier to control.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sec- V v tion. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section. Be it known that I, MICHAEL A. GUL- V Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view showing the sealing means, and with the outer cover flap partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the casing, on an enlarged scale showing particularly the handcable and its holding means and the adjacent platform holding strip at one side of the coaster. Fig. 7- is a perspective view of one of the air bags and its shoe or holder. Fig. 8 is a view showing the use of the board or platform.

The coaster Loomprises an oblong rectangular buoyant body having a preferably upturned forwardend 2, to adapt it to more effectually ride the breakers and skim over the surface of the water. This body consists'of an outer casing 3 of canvas or other suitable strong and durable fabric, vcoated or otherwise treated if desired with a water p'roofingpreparation- This canvas casing is made in the form of a sack of a desired depth, closed at the-front, bottom, top and sides and open at the rear end, as shown at 4. The casingis longitudinally divided by means of a series of vertical partitions 5 to provide a corresponding number or seriesnf chambers 6 to receive air bags 7 each having at one end a valve filling tube 8. The partitions 5 ar sewed or otherwise suitably secured to the top and bottom layers of the fabric of the casing and may be made of the same material or any other suitable ma-- terial whichwillgive the desired degree of strength with flexibility.

The bags or sacks 7 are preferably provided at their rear ends with individual protecting casings or shoes 9 which are suitably constructed for application to the bag and to reinforce the rear ends of the.

bags adjacent to the open end of the casing to the desired degree. number of bags may be employed according to the size and weight of the coaster to give Of course, any desired the required buoyancy, and these bags exert sufficient pressure upon the outer cas? ing to fully distend the same and make it as the entire device is devoid of wood and other hard elements .in its composition, the

to an extent rigid against collapse, while,

body is still soft and resilient enough to pre- Y vent liability of injury to the user or other persons even when it is dashed by the force of the waves against the 'user or other person in proximity thereto.

The bags or sacks when applied are held in position from displacement by short flaps .10 which partially close the opening 4 and are provided with eyelets for the passage of a lacing thong 11, whereby they are connected to form a partial closure, said flaps leaving suiiicient space for the projection of the air valves so that the bags maybe easily and conveniently inflated at any time without the necessity of removing them from the casing. An outer fiap 12 is provided to cover the inner flaps and their lacing connection, and this flap 12 is connected with the body by buttons or other suitable fastenings, so that it will cover the Valves and present a smooth surface which will not be liable to cause injury to the user or'others at any time in the use of the device. For the purpose of enabling the coaster to be grasped, handled and drawn, in a ready and convenient manner, I provide along the longitudinal edges of the upper surfacethereof grip ropes or cables 13, which are fixed at the points'l4 and 15 to the casing at the front and rear extremities thereof,

and between such points project loosely through loops 16, which loops retain the ropes in position and subdivide the same to provide space gripping portions whereby the ropes may be grasped at any point along the length of the sides of the coaster, thereby enabling it to be handled and controlled an easy and convenient manner. Beyond the point 15 the rope is extended in the form 'of a looped" draft line 17 by which the coaster may be drawn over the surface of the water. This loop may also be employed as asteadying element when the user is coasting in a standing position. g

It is desirable when the user wishes to coast or ride the waves in a standing position to provide a more or less rigid deck or platform, to give him av firm support or foot hold and at the same time brace and give stability to the coaster.- The board or platform 18 employed for this purpose is of less length and width than the coaster and is disposed in practice between a pair of longitudinally extending parallel cleats 19 securedto the upper surface of the fabric of the casing 3. These cleats are preferablyv made of double pieces of canvas or other fabric which project up sufficient to bear against the side edges.v of the board and hold the same in place, and which are provided with eyelets 20 by means of which lacing' cords 21 may be passed through the same arrangement of the hoard, the board will contact with or being struck by the coaster,

as will be readily understood. It will be evident from the foregoing description that my invention provides a. coaster which is not only simple, strong and durable of construction, and comparatively inexpensive of production, but which embodies to a maximum degree the desired amount of rigidity with the desired amount of cushioning action or resiliency, and that these advantages are gained by the described construction of the coaster body and arrangement of the air sacks therein, by means of which the parts are adapted to mutually reinforce each other so as to avoid the necessity of employing to any material extent, wood, metal or other hard and rigid materials. Furthermore, the construction ,described gives other advantages as hereinbefore fully explained. i i

1. A coaster comprising a body formed of 'a fabric casing subdivided into cells or comfabric body which partially 'close the open ends of the cells, and an independent closure strip for the open ends of the cells adapted to overlie the said edge portions I the fabric body at the open ends of the cells,

and an independent closure strip for the open ends of the cells'arranged to overlie said fastening means.

3. A coaster comprising'a buoyant body including a fabric casing, cleats extending longitudinally along the upper surface of said casing on opposite sides of the-longitudinal center of the body between the same series of perforations therein, a rigid board adapted to be disposed between said cleats so as to extend longitudinally of and rest upon the surface of the buoyant body, said board being provided with openings along the longitudinal edges thereof, and lacing thongs passing through the openingsin the cleats and board and detachably fastening the board in position,

and the sides of the body, said cleats having memes 4. A coaster comprising a fabric body In testimony whereof I afllx my signawie open at the rear and Iliming longitudinal in presence of two Witnesses, partitions separating t e same into a p 11- r rality of cells, a cover at the rear end of the mGHAEL ADOLF GULBRANDSBN' body arranged to close saicl cells, airbags I Witnesses: within the respective cells, and individual W. G. GRAY, casings for the bags. U. N. ELDRIDGE. 

